When Colin McCourt's dreams of competing in the London 2012 were dashed, he walked away from his sport completely. He was an accomplished middle distance running champion but in the following years he ballooned to 98kg (over 15 stone).

In early 2017, Colin made a bold bet with his friends that he would get back into shape. They challenged him to run a sub-16 minute 5K race before the year was out, and if he couldn't do it Colin agreed that the forfeit would be to have all 17 of his friends' names permanently tattooed on his back!

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

Here, he shares more about his unique story and how he found the motivation to bounce back…

Time for change

"If I'm being totally honest, it took me about five years to realise I was overweight and out of shape. I think it was when I was unable to button up my work shirts and had to wear jumpers over the top to cover it up that was a real low point for me. A key moment I remember was finding an old picture of me back in my running hey day; it just hit me then that I had to do something about my lifestyle if I wanted to be able to play sports with our new born son."

Kick-starting my motivation

"I posted the photo I had found on Instagram with a cheesy caption and told my partner, Rebecca, that I was going for a run. I didn't last long - just 10 minutes! I got in and asked Rebecca to take a picture of me with my shirt off, and I posted that to Instagram saying that we all have to start somewhere!

"My friends saw this post and the group chat we are in went nuts. I knew they were taking the micky out of me so I didn't look at the thread for about three hours. At 11pm Rebecca said 'you have over 500 messages on that phone'. So I looked and they had come up with the bet themselves and I was already signed up. We then spent the next two hours arguing about the rules and everything under the sun. Then, at about 2am that night the finalised bet (outlined above) was born."

The hardest part

"I would have to say the hardest part about training was starting up again, teaching my body how to do what it was I was asking it to do. I hadn't ran a step in five years, I had been drinking nearly every day and would eat so much takeaway I practically started to look like one. So when I started training my body was in shock and didn't have clue what day it was. In the early months it was hard just to keep moving.

"I wanted to stop, I wanted out of the bet, but then I would get in from the run and see Rebecca and my son and it would be OK. They really helped me get through the early months. Honestly it is Rebecca and my little boy, their faces make it all worthwhile. I just hope one day I can run in a race that they can watch and they are impressed."

Mental health

"I don't think I was in a good place mentally when I started out, and I didn't even realise because my state of mind had been like that for so long that it felt like the norm. Then, when I started running I just felt better in myself and I could feel myself getting more and more confident in other areas of my life and taking more control back."

Support network

"I couldn't have done it without the support of other people, all the people that have followed me online and supported me throughout the year; it has been unreal and their help has been so important to me hitting this goal. I am not sure I could have done it without them. However, in terms of the actual physical training, I did on my own from start to finish. I thought of it as a good test, just to see if I could be strong mentally and teach my body to run again."

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

Sticking to it

"Keep it simple, start with just getting out the door. Then getting to the gate, then to the corner of your road, then around the block, and slowly extended it out. We all have the same issues day in day out. We all have days when we don't want to run, days where you want to stay in bed. Voices telling you to stop. Keep your goals small and continuous, you should always hit them. For example, my first few weeks were just about getting out the door, anything else I did was a bonus. Always remember things don't change overnight, it takes work and effort to make a change. Don't be discouraged early on, just keep moving forward."

The 5K...

"I was fine right up until the day before, and then I started to get nervous. My heart was in my month all day at work and then the day of the race felt like being a kid again, walking to the course and pinning my race number on. I got myself ready for this race like I used to when I ran professionally. It was strange, very strange. So different from running a normal park run.

"I just couldn't imagine having to live with all my friends' names tattooed on me, although it hadn't really occurred to me that I might lose the bet. I had tried all year not to think about it. I convinced myself that failing wasn't an option and that seemed to work for me.

"The actual race was nuts. The only things I remember are at 3K someone called out a split time to me and I tried to work out how I needed to pace for the next 1K to no avail, and then I was in the last lap and knew I was close. Once it was over I was so relived! I couldn't believe I had done it to be honest, it had been a mental year with so many ups and downs. It was such a relief to work hard and have an outcome. I think there is nothing better than a challenge. Life is about living it, not sitting at your desk working your life away. I was in a bad place for a long time and running has changed my life and I want to keep at it."

The materials in this web site are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor. The web site does not have answers to all problems. Answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone. If you notice medical symptoms or feel ill, you should consult your doctor - for further information see our Terms and conditions.